Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead.

I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings.

Anything requested and approved will be read and a decent quality review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A good book well explained. I think it would be more helpful to people with children or who work with them rather than being aimed at an adult self help book.

This is the next book (at the time of writing) from the author of the acclaimed Chimp Paradox.

This book takes a different look at how our brains work and how they can so often undermine what we, at least on the surface, believe we would want for ourselves.

The difference is this book looks at brain, and habit, formation from our earliest years.

There have been a number of reviews which suggest that the book is solely aimed at those who want to understand how best to help their children develop and how to manage any so-called mental health problems which might be emerging. Whilst it is true that that is the main thrust of the book, there's a hidden benefit to adults. It is a very useful book to help us understand how we as adults came to be the adults we are by looking at what happens in our childhood and adolescent years.

And from that point of view it does a good job, and is an interesting read.

Why only three stars? In my opinion the descriptors are misleading and it doesn't overtly do what it says on the tin. It should really be described as 'how to understand your children's' development, rather than having to figure out and make the leap from what it says and how to apply the points to ourselves as adults.